Support device for sinking ships



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. ZUKOR SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SINKING SHIPS Filed May 18,1942 Aug, 31, 1943.

nu km Aug. 31, 1943.

A. ZUKOR SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SINKING SHIPS Filed May 18, 1942 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HrrealdZ/lur I "suit". I ATTORNEY A. ZUKOR2,328,117 SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SINKING SHIPS Filed May 18, 1942 sSheets-Sheet s VIIIIIL Aug. 31, 1943.

2 l 2 4 A w M w yflm 7 z MM/.IIPIIL 4 a 3 3 k 7 H V 0 J M T m M 1 W/ 5 M8 a 0 x I ATTORNEY provements in a ship safety device. Moreparticularly, the invention contemplates viewtakenfon the line Fi 4 is af ragrnentary enlarged detailed view on one oi the sides of theshipshownin Fig. 2.

. houses.

, Fig.8 is a fragmentary plan Patented Aug. 31, 1943 t UN I T E o.STATES PATENT 'oFFicE e 2,328,111 SUPPORT DEVICE FORI'VISINKING srilrs Arnold zui o nionxjn. y

Application May 1s,1942,s eria1 No. 443,451 a 12 Claims.

".flhisinvention relates to new and useful ima safety deviceby whichrescue ships may con- I nectwith-a sinking shipand keep it afloat. Thisis particularly. valuable at the present time in view of the manysinkings of ships'by submarines.

More particularly,- the invention proposes to provide the. ships with aplurality of racks mount .e'd @upon bottom] portions thereof andconnected with mechanism bywhich the racksmay be ex- .,.tended, anditisproposed to provide these'racks with couplingsby which the racksmay'be con- "nested. to complementary racks on other ships. .With this.arrangementrescue shipsmay be cou pled with a s inkin g ship beneaththe water line and keep the latter afloat; l The invention also proposesto provide the ships Lwithbridges upon their decks which may be extended across rescue ships and across a' sinking 'shlpto accommodateauxiliaryrescue equipment. The invention further contemplates theprovision of glass housings fordivers to observe the couplings below thesurface of the sea to facilitate their quick engagement with each other.,Still further the invention proposes the use of certainuniversal jointsbetweenYconnecting 1. parts of connected ships to allow relative movament due to the actionof the waves. For further comprehension of thisinvention,

,jand of theobjectsand advantages thereof, reference will belhad tothefollowing description and accompanying drawings, and

claims in which the various novel features of-the invention; aremoreparticularly set'forth.

In the accompanying drawings .forming a .material part of this i i Fig.l is an end elevational view of a ground disclosure- .ship s connectedtogether in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed viewiof certain of the coupling mechanismshown inwFig. l. i

. Fig. 6 is it Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of Fig.5.

direction oflthe line B-Jof Fig; '7. l

CF/i8. ,9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on to the appended asectional view of one 1 of the glass view looking m t 55"verticallyextending" tended to en age inrescue Work, or which are to 5be rescued themselves, Each ship must be equipped with a plurality ofvertical bars vertically'slidably mounted on'theouter sides of the ship,generally indicated byreference numeral I l. A plurality ofhorizontal'racks' lz are hori- 1 zontally mounted .on the bottomportionsofthe I verticalkharswln. Stationary racks l3 are mounted ontheputersides of the ship Ill. The vertical bars ID are's'lidably mounted on theship H by tubular bearings t4 through which they pass.

15. These-bearings are mounted onthe ship II. The stationary verticalracks [3 are disposed parallel *-to the vertical bars i0 and arefi'xedly mounted at wtheir. top endsupon the sides ftheship.

-The1horizontalracks l2 are somewhat. narrower thanfthe vertical bars l0and pass through openings l5 in the vertical bars l0. Gears l6arerotativelymounted on saidslidable vertical bars I!) and mesh withsaid vertical racks l3 and'horizontal racks 12 for extending andretracting the horizontalracks as said bars Ill are moved upwards anddownwards, respectively. The gears l6 are rotatively mounted on bracketsI1 which are fixedly attached upon the vertical bars I0. These bracketsITalsoengage around the vertical stationary racks l3 for maintaining themesh of the gears i6 with the said vertical racks-I3. Ifhe openings i 5in the bottom portions oifthebars lfl arefdepended upon to maintainthetmesh of the horizontal racks I2 :with thesaid gears I B. i i i Meansis provided for moving'the vertical bars Ill-upwards. and downwards;This means includes' rack teeth l8 form'ed along the length of thevertical bars-I0 and meshingwith gears l9 i 1 unted on'sh'afts zllextended along the sides of F is a p aniview of one. of the ships shown.in Fig.1. i it the *ship 'll Each' shaft 20 is connected by atransmission 21 with a prime mover 22, such as an "electric motor.Thusthe prime mover 22 may be driven-in one direction or the" other forindirectly causing the vertical bars I 0 to be raised or lowered. Eachvertical bar to is provided. with i an oilsetftopend 23 which acts asastop when the vertical bar is in itscompletely lowered positi0n.

- Coupliriggsifl are mounted'on the outer ends of the saidhor izontalracks I2 and are for the purpose of being connected with complementarycoupiingsiof another ship. ",Eachcoupling 24 includesifa bracket 25uponwhich a pluralit'y of hooks 26 are supported.

gagement with a complementary. coupling. .This

means includes a rotative socket 3| mounted on 7 each horizontal rack I2, and connected by a flexible shaft 32 with a' rotative screw 'Eachscrew 33 is engaged by a follower 34.0n a.slide 35 which is slidablymounted and Which'conme ts w th and suppo t the eeu line i214. Eahorizontal ra k 14: QIiter SQGQiO l-H -whieh is enn eeted wi htthelmainzpentien \th e y a universal joint Several springs 32:! extenda ross e ch vunirers l J int :Sfiand icon-neat th sections thereof utQ-BthGI (for ,resiliently holding the -.s,ect,ions ,of the horizontalracks-in hori .Zenteilv ali ned pesi ons.

Th ship saf y d vic ls neludes glass housing -32? {for d vers :to obs ethe uplings ..;.Z4 -belew th surface .cfatne ea- :Eaeh glass sine 5 :5has imm vable door 39 t ou wh eharlive may liter. Each housin 138rhas 5?l Ail pr yi e h e non nireular openin 25H nga ng a .nc .eula edA'lmoun-ted o each horizontal a m 12 and extend g upward ,above the. ea.Each glass housing 533 is concllefit c -.-W' .l ;h 5n irhoistin cable14:3 which extends ever a teem *1 sec particularly Ffian..Thezarenticement :is L llQh a :diver item the :ship may enter the glasshouse 33:8 and thenithe'glass hou he lowere until it 'comes 'ato nest one nmn bar 1L2.-

in a bottor vportion A6 adap ace th sock t 1. l b st :the d e gthinthecglass housing 5, t e bent-36:15iin itsdowered positionf i nl illusrated in Fi 5, m y op e tool 135 at indirectly ex end and re- 2 Q 1ecoup in [2480.0 make it-engagetthe .comsa e n ar eouplins of a othership.

ill-Mic provided or sizes-dyin file' l iorizontal racks It. This meansincludes ;,s'ocl.ets [or tunin s M :beneathtz e ship id itnmueh which thlie iz n :slidably pass. "Thes sockets 11 .51 be at desi ed-len thandaare s pport d 1 te es opically engagin snid b 4 h It inte th bottomportion :cf he hin Ih t ady ngm ans al o includes an m b 5!! .sl da ymounts im a short track 5! e ud the rizun al m section 12 an -he dreelec ed fixed n sitien by set crews see pa ticu arly Bi :8- A came 53onne ts itneaen eye memb r 5.0 and xtendu wards ever a poem as and con ets w th a hoistin eh ,Eaehean fi tram each gla h se also connects with ahoisting winch 56.

Th of the ship H is als pr vided w inerti cal h draul c s bstance suppts 5- which in turn sunne t hor zon a h d aulic substanc bride s .ll esb idges 5B .eemnrise teles op sch ass hous at is provided with a turninsto l .45 turnablv moun ed u h the fl The arrangement is tubes .intei' ieegedwith e ch the a d a e s) beextended and retraetedwith hydraulic ub-5 .each 1 other. may walk :along the -,connect,ed':bridges K58 :and

.thecentral ship is a sinking ship and the two side ships are the rescueships.

The rescue is carried out by divers entering the glass housings :38 andbeing lowered down upon the horizontal racks 2 to positions asillustrated in Fig. 5.

These glass houses may also be provided with the .usual telephone systemto the ship by which the divers may guide the vertical extension andlowering of thevertical bars It! to facilitate the engagement of thecouplings 24 of the distressed ship with the corresponding couplings ofthe ship. Simultaneously, the hydraulic bridges 53oftthe:twon'escueashipsrare eextended across -the sinkingsship and areconnected with The .--seamen from the rescue .lships -lowerpazblesatothe distressed-tship. These cables should be suitably tied to thebridges "I58 .and to theodi-stressed ship so as to :prevent "the latter.from sinking.- 'By this-ztime the couplings 24 should beconnected andthe (three :ship's will :be vcoupled together, as iillustrated :in .Eig.:1. connected ships'may nowiproceed tothe :n'earest port.

WhileI have illustrated and described the preierred embodiments 10fzn'rylinlvention, zit is to :be

understood 'that.I ado snot limit :myself :to the precise constructionsherein .disclosed land the A right-.isi reserved ito all ichanges andmodifications vcoming within {the scope .of'thewirivention :as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described uny iinven'tion, w at I .claim as new, and desire"to secure by United States -Letters-:;Patent is:

5,1. In combination with .a ship, "a plurality of vertical bars slidably:mounted :on the .out'er sides of ship a'pluralitycf horizontal rack-shorizzonta ll-yrslidably mounted on bo'tt'om portions of saidvertical-bars, static-nary vertical rack-s 'on the outerusides 10fsaido-sh'ip, gears rcta'tively me nted 0nisaidrslidahle-vertical barsand meshin with said vertical :and horizontal racks for extending andretracting said horiz'ontal racks sai'd bars move downwards :and upwardsrespectively, means forimoving'said vertical bars upwards and downwards,couplings on the outer ends ae-f said 'l'iorizontalzracksfcr connectionwith complementary-couplings on another ship, glass houigs 'for diversto observe said couplings below he surface .of the sea; means for-extend'ing andretracting said couplings operable fromsaid gl-asshousings, means for steadying said horizontal racks, verticalhydraulically operated sup 7 horizontal hydraulically ports on saidship,

operated bridges .on said'vert'ica'l supports, and .ccnplings onjitheextended ends of said bridges for connecting with complementarycouplings of another ship;

2. In cpm'binaticn with a ship, a --lurality of vertical bars slidablymounted on -the outer sides of said ship, a plurality of horizontalracks horizontallyslidably mounted on bottom portions of said verticalbars, stationary vertical tracks on the outer sidespi said ship; gearsriotatively mounted on said slidable vertical bars and meshing with saidvertical and horizontal racks for shafts in one direction or the other.

extending and retracting said horizontal racks as said bars movedownwards and V upwards respectively, means for moving said 1 verticalbars upe wards; and downwards, couplings on the outer ends 01'saidhorizontal racks for connection'with complementary couplings 'onanothership, glass housingsfor divers to observe said couplings be lowthe surface of the sea, means forextending andretracting said couplingsoperable from said glass housings meansfor steadying said horizontalracks, vertical hydraulically operated supports on said ship, horizontalhydraulically op it erated bridgeson said vertical supports, i andcouplings on the extended ends ofsaid bridges for connecting withcomplementary couplings of another 'ship, said means for moving saidvertical bars upwards and downwards comprising rack "teeth formed in thevertical bars'and meshing with gears, shafts connecting certain of thesegeara 'and a prime mover for rotating these a 3. In combination with [aship, spin-an iwar of said ship, aplurality of horizontal rackshorizontally slidably mounted on bottom portions of said vertical bars,stationaryl verticall racks on the outer sides of said ship; gearsrotatively mounted on said slidable vertical bars and mesh. ing with sad vertical and horizontalrack's for extending and retracting saidhorizontal racksas 'said bars move downwards andupwardsi respectively,means for moving said vertical bars upwards and downwards, coupling ontheouter ends or said horizontal racks for connection withc'om-v"pleme'ntary Tcouplings on another ship, glass housings for divers toobserve said couplings be low the surface of the sea, "means forextending; andretracting said couplings operable fromsai'd glasshousings, 'meansfor steadying saidhorizontal racks, verticalhydraulically operated supon said ship, horizontal hydraii'ilicallyfopierated bridges onsaid vertical supports, ,Jand

til

of said ship, aplurality of horizontal racks horizontallygslidablyfmounted on bottom portions of said vertical bars stationary verticalrackson the outer sides of said ship, gears rotatively mounted on saidslidable, vertical bars and meshing with saidvertical andhorizontalracksfor extending and retracting said horizontal racks as said bars movedownwards and upwards respectively, means for movingsaid vertical barsupv wards and downwards; couplings on the outerends of said horizontalracks for connection with complementary couplings on another ship, glasshousings for divers tozobserve saidcouplings ,be-

vertical bars slidably mounted on the outer sides low the surface of thesea, means for extending and retracting said couplings operable fromsaid glasshousings, means for steadying said horizontal racks; verticalhydraulically operated supports on said ship,"horizontalxhydraulicallyoperated bridges on said vertical supports, and

couplings'onthe extendedie nds of said bridges for connecting withcomplementary couplings ofanother ship;,saiddglass housingsbeingconnected with hoisting cables, booms and winches.

6. In' combination with a ship, a ,pluralityof sides vertical bars,slildably mounted'on the ,outer of'said ship, a plurality of horizontalrackshorizontally slidably mounted on bottom portions of said verticalbars, stationary vertical racks on the -"louter sides of said ship,gears rotatively mounted on said slidable vertical barsdand mesh- 1 7ing with said vertical and horizontal racks for extending and retractingsaid horizontal racksk as said"bars movefdownwards and upwardsrespecstively,

Wards and'clownwards couplings on the outer ends of said horizontalracks for connection with complementary" couplings on another ship,glass housingsfor-divers to observe said couplings, be-

couplings on the extendedflends of said bridges 1 l for connecting withcomplementary couplings of another ship, said vertical racks'beingprovided slldably pass. U it i H 4; In combination with a ship, verticalbars slidably mounted oriwith openings through'which the 'horizontalracks said vertical bars, stationary vertical racksjon theouter sides ofsaid ship, gears flrotatively mounted on said "slidable' vertical bars'andrneshing with said vertical 'andjhorizontal racks for extending andretractingtsaid horizontal racks as said bars move downwards and upwardsrespectively,lmeans for, moving said verticalba'fsupwards and downwards,couplings "on the foutei ends 01' said horizontal racks for connectionwith complementary couplings on another ship; glass housings fordiversto observe said couplings be} low the surface of the sea; meansfor extending and retracting said couplings' operable fromf'sa'id glasshousings, means for Isteadying said horizontal racks, verticalhydraulicallyoperated; supports on saidship, horizontal hydraulically-operated bridges on saidf vertical fisupports, and, couplings on theextended-'endso-f saidsbri'dges for connecting with complementarycouplings of another shipfsaid gears being rotatively mounted on saidvertical bars with brackets which engage, about saidlstationary racksfor maintaining the meshing of the ears with the stationary racks;

5. In combination with a ship, a plurality of plurality of; eo'liteisides of'said ship, a plurality 'of horizontalracks horizontallyslidably mountedl onfbott'om portions'ot low the surfaceifof the sea,meansiorextending from said i a glass housings,means for steadying saidhorizona taliracks, vertical hydraulically operated sup- Iand retractingsaid couplings operable ports, on said ship, horizontal hydraulicallyoperated" bridges on said vertical supports, and couplings on theextended ends of said bridges; forconnecting with complementarycouplingsof 1, another ship,saidr'glass housings being connectedwithhoisting cables,

vzontal racks, and said glass houses'being provided with projecting lugshaving complementary noncircula-r openings engaging said non-circularrods for non-rotatively' connecting these parts.

, 7. ,In combination with a ship, vertical bars slidablymounted on theouter sides ofsaid ship, a plurality of horizontal racks hor- 1izontally slidably mountedon bottom portionsiof 'meansiorYsteadyingjsaid horizontal racks, vertical hydraulically operatedsupports on said ship, horizontal hydraulically operated bridges onsaid"tary couplings on another ship,

said vertical bars,stationary vertical racks on the" outer sides of saidship, gears rotatively mounted on said slidable vertical bars andmeshing with saidvertical and horizontal racks for extending jandretracting said horizontal racks as said bars move, downwards andupwards respectively,

means for moving said 'verticalbarsupwards and downwards; couplingsonthe outer nds of said horizontal racks for connection with compleme'n;lass housings for divers" to observ'esaid couplings below the surfaceJoLthe sea,rmeans for extending and retracting said couplings "operablefrom said glass housings,

vertical supports, and couplings on the extended vertical bars slidablymounted on the outer sides means Iorrnoving said vertical bars up-.

booms-and winchesjnonf circular vertical rods beingmounted on saidfhori-J' a plurality of ends of said: bridges for connecting; with;complexmentary couplings of another ship,. said means for extending andretracting the couplings comprising a slidable section supporting eachcoupling, a screw connected to extend: saidslidable section, and aflexible transmission for turning said screw operativeby a turning tool:mounte through the drier of each glass housing.

for moving said vertical bars upwards and downwards, couplings on theouter ends of said horizontal racks for connection with complementarycouplings on another ship, glass housings for divers to observe saidcouplings belowthe surface of the sea,'means forextending andretracting', said couplings operable from; said glass housings, meansfor steadying said'horizontal racks, vertical hydraulically operatedsupportsxon said ship, horizontal hydraulically operated bridges andretreating said horizontal racks as said bars move downwards and,upwards respectively, means for moving said vertical bars upwards anddownwards, couplings on the outer ends of said horizontal racks forconnection with complementary couplings on another ship, glass housingsfor divers to observe said couplings below the surface of the sea, meansfor extending and retracting said couplings operable from said glasshousings, means for steadying said horizontal racks, verticalhydraulically operated supports on said ship; horizontalhydraulicallyoperated bridges on said vertical supports, and couplings on theextended ends of said bridges for connecting with complementarycouplings of another ship, said'vertical hydraulically operated supportsbeing capable of rasing and loweringsaid bridges. V

11. In combination with a ship, a pluralityof vertical bars slidablymounted on the'outer sides of said ship, a plurality of horizontal rackshorizontally slidably mounted on bottom portionsv of said vertical bars,stationary vertical racks on the outer sides of said ship, gearsrotatively mounted on said slidable vertical bars and meshingwith saidvertical and horizontal racks for extending andretractinglsaid'horizontal racks as said bars move downwards and upwardsrespectively, means for moving said vertical bars upwards and down onsaid vertical supports, and'couplin'gs on the I extended ends of saidbridges for connecting with complementary couplings of another ship,said means for steadying said horizontal racks com prisingqbushingsslidably supporting the horizontal racks and connected'with rodstelescopically engaging tubes. 7

9. In combination with a ship, a plurality of vertical bars slidablymounted on the outer Sides ofsaid ship, a plurality of horizontal rackshorizontally slidably mounted on bottom portions of said vertical bars,stationary verticalracks on the outer sides of said ship, gearsrotatively. mounted on said sli-dable vertical bars and meshing withwards, couplings on the outer ends of said horizontalracks forconnection with complementary couplings on another ship, glass housingsfor divers to observe said couplings below the surface said vertical andhorizontal racks for extending and retracting said horizontal racks assaid bars move downwards and upwards" respectively,

means for moving said vertical barsupwards and downwards, couplings onthe outer ends of said horizontal racks for connection withcomplementary' couplings on another ship, glass ho-us-' ings for diversto observe said couplings below the ,surface'of the sea, means forextending and retracting said couplings operable from said glasshousings, means'for steadying said horizontal racks, verticalhydraulically operated supports on said .ship, bridges on said verticalsupports, and couplings on the extended ends of said bridges forconnecting with complementary couplings of another .ship, said means forsteadying' said horizontal racks comprising bushings slidably supportingthe horizontal racks and connected with rods telescopically engagingtubes, and cables connected with outer portions of said horizontal racksand extended'over booms and connected with winches.

10'. In combination with a ship, a plurality of vertical barsslidablymounted on the outer sides of said ship, a plurality ofhorizontal racks horizontally slidably mounted on bottomportions. ofsaid vertical bars, static-nary vertical racks on the outer sides ofsaid ship, gears rotatively mounted 1 on said;slidable vertical bars andmeshing with said vertical and horizontal racks for extending horizontalhydraulically operated of the sea, means for xtending and retractingsaid couplings operable from said glass housing,

means for steadying said horizontal racks, vertical hydraulicallyoperated supports on said ship, horizontal hydraulically operatedbridges on said vertical supports, and'couplings on the extended ends ofsaid bridges for connecting withcomplementary couplings of another ship,said vertical hydraulically operated supports being capableof raisingand lowering saidbridges, and said bridges being capable of beingextended for facilitating joining of the last mentioned couplings. 4

12. In combination with a ship, a plurality of vertical bars slidablymountedonthe outer sides of said ship, a plurality of horizontal rackshorizontally slidably mounted on bottom portions of said vertical bars,stationary, vertical racks on the outer sides of said ship, gears;rotatively mounted on said slidable vertical bars and mesh ing with saidvertical and horizontal racks for extending'and retracting saidhorizcntalracks as said bars'move downwards and upwards respectively;means for moving said vertical bars upwards and downwards, couplings ontheouter tal racks, vertical hydraulically-operated supports onsaidship, horizontal hydraulically operated bridges on said verticalsupports, and couplings on the extended ends of said bridges forconnecting with complementary couplingsof another ship, said horizontalracks being provided I with end sections connected with the mainsectionstwith universaljoints. r r ARNOLD ZUKOR.

